The District 12 Career
by Naanal
Summary: Rowan is an orphan that has lived in the District 12 community home for almost his entire life. After years of abuse and beatings, he decides to train and volunteer for the Hunger Games like a career, in the hopes to win and get out of the community home and most of all, to freedom.
1. Chapter 1

"Get up! Up, now!" I'm awoken from my best sleep in weeks, only to face a nightmare. The voice of one of my carers travels through my thin door and echoes through my tiny, damp bedroom. "You're going to be late, now get up!" She screams.

"I'm already up!" I yell, trying very hard not to sound unhappy. The very moment I sound like I am trying to 'defy' the carers with the tone of my voice, I get a beating. I rub my eyes and stretch sleepily in an attempt to wake myself up. I dress lazily, thinking of last night. Last night was my fourth night of training this week, and every muscle in my body was beginning to hurt. No one would ask about the cuts and bruises, because everyone was used to me showing up meals and school with injuries. Because I was living in the community home, and I was working to get out.

Eventually I finish dressing and head out to the main dining area for breakfast. Breakfast is pretty generous this morning: a piece of bread about the size of a plum, and one small heap of something that I don't recognize. Here in the community home, you pretty much just take whatever you can get. Everyone tries their best to eat nicely, but we are only allowed small and quiet conversations during meal times. Even now, the carers on shift are walking around, punching the louder kids in an effort to try to keep them quiet. One of my only friends in this place, Juniper, limps over to me with a smile on his face. He's the same age as me, 15 years old, and he's tiny. But he's one of those people that you just can't help but like.

"Hey, Rowan!" He says, trying to keep his voice down, "dude, how bad did they beat you up last night? You're covered in bruises! What did you do? At least tell me it was worth it."

"Hardly. Apparently, I was defying the carers by refusing to fall asleep," I lie easily. I couldn't tell Juniper where I really was. "They were checking all the rooms and I didn't fake it in time, so two of them came in and decided to have some fun."

"Man, that sucks. It could have been worse though," he reminded me. If anyone knew it could be worse, it would be Juniper. He got lost on the way home from school one day, and when they found him, they brought him back here and... well, he doesn't talk about it, but it sure must have been bad. He didn't come out of his room for weeks, and meals had to be taken in to him. Ever since then, he hasn't been able to properly, which is why he had a limp. He wouldn't stand a chance in the Games.

"Yeah, I know. I'm really alright anyways," I mutter reassuringly. I continue to eat my breakfast as he walks away, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

Juniper is much more popular than I am. He's friendly, and tries to talk to everyone, while I mostly keep to myself. It's not that I don't like people, it's more to do with the fact that people don't like me. Juniper is actually my only friend, so naturally I care about him. But Juniper cares about more people than just me, so most of the time I'm pretty much alone.

School flies by quickly as always. I hardly pay attention. It's not that I'm a bad student, but I just can't pay attention. Usually I just think of the previous afternoon, or the afternoon to come. Think about how crappy breakfast was this morning. You know, the usual. I still somehow manage to pass school. I'm just lucky, I guess, but it doesn't bother me.

Like usual, I walk home, except I'm in a bit of a daze today. The reaping is coming soon. The moment I realize how slow I've been going, and that people have stopped pushing past me in an effort to get back to the home, I realize how late I am getting back. At least five or ten minutes later than usual, which is usually enough to earn a beating. I speed up to a sprint and when I finally arrived back, I've hardly broken a sweat despite how far I sprinted. One of the carers is waiting for me, and she doesn't look happy. I can tell she'd gone through the checklist and searched for me inside already, so she's going to be even more angry with me.

"Come with me," she sneers. I give a small sigh, and I walk past the rest of the kids from the home having their free time in the main hall of the home. It's only a small room, and there aren't many people in it, so it doesn't take much for them to notice me walking behind a carer, late, and probably on my way to a particularly bad beating, Some kids smirk, some look a bit sympathetic, but as I lock eyes with Juniper I see nothing but terror in them. I give him what I hope is a reassuring look, and rush out of the room with the carer.

The moment I arrive into the carers lounge, I am surrounded. They each take turns hitting me, trying out different items to hit me with, mostly things from the kitchens. They always give us the hard beatings on areas which can be easily covered by clothes, so they don't arouse too much suspicion when we go to school. I just wait out the beating, which lasts for a particularly long time today, before being ushered back to my room. I won't be able to escape to the woods today, because I wouldn't be able to walk too far, let alone train and climb in and out of a window and under a fence. So I'm left with nothing but my thoughts.

I don't know where my parents are. All I know is that somehow, I ended up at the community home. The carers didn't really care about finding what happened to them, or if they were dead or alive. I didn't really care anymore. I could take good care of myself. That's why, 5 years ago, I started sneaking into the woods, and started to learn. I learnt the survival skills- I can now successfully start fires with pretty much anything, set snares, identify plants, climb trees, make shelters from most materials and find food pretty much anywhere. I also learnt to defend myself- I can use spears, throw knives, use a bow and I even know hand-to-hand combat because of the school wrestling team. I find heavy logs in the woods where I can, and lift them to increase my muscle. I run a lot: sprinting, long jogs, short jogs. All to prepare and to keep fit enough to get away from pretty much anything. I've taught myself to swim in the lake, but I don't swim often because that's a long trek from the fence. My senses are pretty good, I can hear almost anything out of the usual, and my eyes are pretty much normal, so I suppose that's good too. I train every afternoon and into the night. Usually the carers lock me in my room anyways because they particularly hate me, so they don't notice when I sneak through the small window in my room and off into the woods. I'm always back in my window before the carers come around again to call us to dinner.

Each person at the home has to take our tesserae for themselves. So each person had two entries each year, once because they have to, and once for their tesserae. We don't actually keep what we get, it goes straight into the hands of the carers. But we still have to collect it ourselves. I got beaten one year for taking out extra tesserae, and I had to stay home from school that day because I could hardly move.

All of this is the reason I train every night. The reason I have been planning since the time I was ten years old. Because this year, after five years of training, I am going to the reaping. I am going to volunteer for the games, and I'm going to win. And I'm going to get out of this community home, even if it means facing death.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own the Hunger Games.**

The knife slips easily through my fingers, and hits the log exactly where I was aiming. I trudge over to pick it up, place it into my belt, grab the log and begin to run back towards the fence. The woods glide along beside me, a green blur and I relax to the sound of my own steady breathing, and the sounds of the mockingjays singing in the branches of the trees. Here, in the woods, is one of the only places I really feel at home. Back inside the fence, trapped in District 12 is like my own personal hell. The starvation, the death, the dirt, the coal, the carers... I suppose you could include the games, even though they are soon to be my ticket out of the home. But they make everyone miserable.

I ditch the log about 20 yards before the fence, and then leave my belt with all my gear tied up a tree as usual. I walk slowly back to the fence, trying to extend my time inside the woods. I stop near a bunch of blueberries, and pick about ten, and chomp on them, enjoying the sweet taste before I slip carefully under the fence.

The walk back to the community home is never easy. Not only is there the carers that are on duty to contend with, there's also the risk of getting caught by peacekeepers and off-duty carers. I usually take a loop around the edge of the Seam before cutting thrown the yards of the people who live in town, which ends up right behind the community home and outside my window. As usual, I slip skilfully through my window without any difficulty or noise. I lay in bed waiting, until the usual grunt of "Dinner," travels through my door. I dart up out of bed, feeling ravenous despite the blueberries I ate in the woods.

I don't even think there is a name for what we are all eating tonight. All I know is that I need to get some food in me before I volunteer for the games, because even on top of the food I get from the woods, I'm skinnier than the careers. For my district, I'm considered to be rather large and muscly, which makes me even more of a rarity, because kids in the community home are generally skinnier than a lot of people in District 12. Juniper comes around to see me about half way through dinner, and just looking at him, I can see he's worrying about something.

"Rowan," he says, "did you hear?" This is weird for Juniper. He is usually a calm, if not happy dude. He never freaks out about anything, which is unusual for a kid living in the community home. But right now, he's freaked out. I pat the bench next to me, and tell him to sit.

"Are you alright? What's happened?"

"So, you really haven't heard?" I shake my head no, and he continues, "One of the carers was told by a peacekeeper that he saw someone walking around the back of the home. Apparently, he couldn't get a decent look at him but all the carers are really angry." I can't help but snort at Juniper's explanation. Of course the first thing the carers would assume is that one of their kids is sneaking around after dark, even though that's exactly what I was doing.

"Of course they assume it's one of us," I say loudly in the direction of some of the carers, pretending as if I don't know anything. "It's not like there are any other kids in this district."

"Yeah," Juniper laughs nervously, glancing around him. "But, I'd hate to be that kid if he got caught. Can you imagine?"

"Yeah, I can. But what are they going to do now that they think one of us is sneaking out?" I ask, feigning curiosity, but actually worried they'll put bars on our windows or something.

"I overheard the carers saying that the peacekeeper said it was an older guy," he whispers, "So apparently they're locking the older kids like us in our rooms of an afternoon. They think whoever did it must have gone out the front."

I'm immediately relieved. If the carers or the peacekeepers had barred the windows, my plan would have been ruined. How would I train with my windows barred? But if they lock us in out rooms like usual, I have no issue. They're not going to come and check on me, because the rooms are locked from the outside. They think there's no chance of me getting out. But they probably didn't expect that someone my size would manage to get out that window as easily as I can. It's more likely that they'll be keeping an eye on the smaller of the older kids, the skinnier ones that seem more likely to fit through a size that small.

"I wouldn't worry much," I say, "If someone did sneak out, they wouldn't be stupid enough to try again now that the carers know about it. I reckon we won't be locked in our rooms for much longer than a couple of weeks... not that I'm not used to being locked in my room for hours," I finish bitterly.

Juniper gives me a look of sympathy, before rising with his plate and joining some of his younger friends. I'm left alone to eat my dinner, and I sit contemplating how I will be able to sneak out now. I'm thinking it will be easier for a while, considering we're all locked in our rooms. But that doesn't mean to say there won't be any peacekeepers keeping a closer eye on the back of the community home from now on. I shrug it off, and figure I'll find out tomorrow when I get back.

School goes as normal. Go to class. Sit alone at break. Go to class again. Sit alone at break again. It's nothing unusual. I make it home on early today, as I have been making sure to do recently. I don't want to miss any more training sessions this close to the reaping. It's only two days away. I get back to the home before everyone, and walk in before the carers send me straight to my room. I wait at the window, watching as the steady flow of kids from the home gets smaller and smaller, and then vanishes completely. I give it ten minutes, check my bedroom door is locked, and slip silently out the window. I move quickly and quietly, keeping a constant eye out for carers and peacekeepers. I don't see any, which means the carers must be confident that they've taken care of the problem by locking us in our rooms. I can't help but smirk and shake my head to myself at their sheer stupidity.

Reaching the woods, I eagerly rush under the fence and run the twenty yards to my tree, before scaling it quickly and retrieving my pack. I grab my bow and arrows, which I fashioned myself, and clip on my belt. I've always been proud of my materials. I managed to fashion the bow myself, and learnt used that, as well as snares to catch animals, and I used their hides to fashion other useful things. The knives I managed to steal from the back of some houses at the Seam. I spent only one day, strolling casually past the small structures that could barely be classed as houses, and took as many as I could find without being noticeable. Sure enough, no one noticed. Most of the knives were rusty or broken, so people wouldn't miss them. I managed to repair all of them. If the blade of a knife was rusty, I would remove it and replace it with the blade from other knives that hand broken handles. Eventually I had a set of five decent knives, and I buried any broken remains that I had replaced. I began doing small trades at the Hob. I never went in when there was a lot of people around, and I went in rarely anyways. But I traded what animals I could for materials to make more weapons, or to make snares. I could hardly be considered a regular customer there, but that's how I wanted it. If word got out that a kid from the community home was trading at the Hob, it would not be good.

I do some good training today. I leave the log at my tree, and decide to focus on my skills rather than my strength or fitness. I throw knife after knife, until I'm certain I won't miss. I shoot arrows into trees over and over. I climb a tree almost to the top, just to see how high I can go with my weight. I start a fire just from small pieces of branch and some leaves I find on the ground. I make a small shelter that is just small enough to sleep under, before checking that it can't be seen by anyone who would choose to walk past it. I decide that I had better work on my fitness and strength, so I pick up the log and run for a while just to let out some pent-up energy. Then I sprint to my tree, still carrying the log. I drop it before scaling the tree in record time, deposit my pack and make my way to the fence, grabbing some blueberries as usual.

I'm back in my room with perfect timing as usual. I've just caught my breath and laid down when I hear my door unlock, and a carer screams at me through my door to get up. I walk happily out to the dinner room, unaffected by the carers screaming at how worthless I am, elated in the fact that I really have made progress in my training, and that tomorrow I will be volunteering at the reaping.


	3. Chapter 3

As I wake up this morning, I can't help but feel a wave of anticipation wash over me. Today is the day.

I climb out of my bed, and pace the room impatiently until a carer comes to retrieve me for breakfast. I eat it quickly as usual, before leaving through the front doors on what is one of our rare days where we have "free time." This means that we can basically do whatever we want as long as we're back in time to get ready for the reaping. The kids in the home that are younger than 12 have to stay inside and play around with the carers watching, but once you're old enough to go into the reaping ball, you're allowed out to do whatever you want. Today I intend to train and do some last minute cramming, and go over all my skills before going back to clean up for the reaping.

The tension is rolling through the air, and you can just feel everyone sitting in a bundle of nerves about the reaping. I almost wish I can say to the people around me, who look nothing but miserable, that at least their sons will be safe this year. I can't help their daughters.

I ease under the fence as usual, and for once I take a handful of berries on my way to the tree before scaling it. I retrieve my pack, my bow and my arrows, and use a small wrap I weaved a while ago to secure my only spear to my back, before picking up the giant log, and beginning a slow jog to get further from the fence. Eventually I find a small clearing that has enough room for me to be able to practice a few things in. I place the log at the end, and go to face it at the other side of the clearing.

I begin to unleash all of my possible weapons on the log. I throw the spear, getting a good solid stick, empty my entire sheath of arrows and throw every knife into the log. I don't miss once. I retrieve all the weapons and repeat this process until I'm certain that I'll never miss. I'm usually a modest person, but I know my aim is good.

I place all my weapons back into my pack, and then drop to the ground and do some push-ups and sit-ups for a while. It seems to let out some of my excited energy. I gather some small sticks and start a fire like I always do, set some snares, shoot a turkey with an arrow and walk around identifying what plants I can before I return my pack, grab a leather pouch and pick some blueberries before climbing a tree and basking in the sun.

I manage like this for a while before I climb down, return the pouch and begin the walk back to the home.

Not many people from the home have chosen to go out this year. I swear everyone seems more paranoid than usual. It's probably the 'feeling' everyone says they get when they feel like someone from the home is certain to be reaped. Some years they're right, but some years they're more than happy to be proven wrong. But none of us are happy for anyone to get reaped either way.

I arrive in the area where all the younger kids are having free time, and where some of the older kids have decided to stay just trying not to worry too much about the reaping. I see Juniper sitting surrounded by some younger kids, but decide to leave him be before laying down next to a window, and closing my eyes.

Some time later, I wake up as the carers scream for us all to get dressed, so I make my way to my room before putting on the clothes that the carers laid out for me. I can hardly pay attention to what I'm doing, and next thing I know, I'm walking through the town to where the justice building stands and I'm signing in and standing in the area labelled '15 years.'

I feel a small nudge on my shoulder, and turn around to see Juniper standing a foot away from me, looking worried.

"Just thought you could use someone," he mutters, giving me a reassuring look.

I just smile and say, "Thanks Juniper," because I really can't think of anything else to say to show how happy I really am to have at least one person to care for me. To care that I'm going off to the Capitol, where I could die in a few days. But of course, Juniper doesn't know that this is really what I actually want.

Everyone falls silent as the mayor, a few officials, and my soon-to-be escort, Talma, step onto the stage. There's the usual boring speeches and all that other stuff before Talma walks her way across the stage, and chirps into the microphone, "Ladies first!"

The only sound you can hear is the steady breathing, the occasional whimper from a small child, and the click of her heals as she walks her way over to the reaping ball that contains hundreds of girls names, written carefully on small strips of paper. Talma digs her hand into the bowl until her arm is all the way in, and reaches for a slip at the very bottom.

"Lily Hern!"

Everyone's heads crane around to where a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, obviously from town, marches forward from the 17 year old girls and takes her place on the stage. The sound of a woman weeping echoes through the audience, and everyone knows it has to be coming from this girl's mother.

Suddenly it's the boys turn, and Talma is pulling out a slip and reading out the name, "Juniper Oster!"

I turn and look at Juniper in shock. Everyone knows that, going into the games he would not stand a chance. Skinny, young, community home boy who has never had enough to eat, and can hardly walk, let alone run. It's clear in Juniper's eyes, as he forces his stiff limbs to move and begins walking towards the stage that he knows this too. I watch him heading bravely up t certain death, and decide now is a good time.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

My voice carries around, loud and clear. Everyone turns to look at me, even Juniper, and what was first relief in his eyes turns to horror as he turns around and realizes who it is that is sparing him from death.

"What are you doing?!" He whispers urgently as I pass him toward the stage. I give him what I hope is a reassuring look and mount the stairs before he can do anything to stop me.

Talma looks stunned, but soon recovers and asks me for my name.

"Rowan Bakker."

She repeats my name, says some other garbage I don't listen to, and then I shake hands with the shaky town girl who is now my fellow tribute. The last thing I see as I'm being ushered into the Justice Building is Juniper, still standing in the middle of the aisle, still looking stunned, but with tears streaming silently down his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own the Hunger Games.**

I look up from the velvet couch as Juniper strolls in, tear tracks stained into his face. He walks straight in and hugs me, and I can tell he is trying to be strong for me.

"Why did you volunteer for me?" He gets out.

"Because I wanted to," I mutter.

"What if you die? I should have stopped you... I just didn't know what to do."

"You didn't have to do anything. I volunteered, it's not like you asked me to," I try to pass this off as if it was nothing, but I know if I do end up dying, that Juniper would never forgive himself. He thinks I've volunteered for him.

"You still should have let me go. You didn't have to volunteer so I could live," tears begin streaming down his face again. "And now, if you die... you're my friend! And I just let you volunteer for me, and now if you die it will be my fault."

"Listen, Juniper. You didn't make me volunteer."

"But-"

"Just listen, okay?"

He hesitates for a moment before saying, "okay."

"I would have volunteered even if you weren't reaped." I say reluctantly. I have no idea how Juniper will react to this. I never told him I was training or that I was planning to volunteer just to leave the home. He might have tried to train with me, or volunteer himself. I didn't want that to happen.

"Don't try to make me feel better by saying that. No one ever volunteers. You're the first," he says firmly. I sigh, knowing he will be hard to convince and I don't have long to explain.

"You know how I've been locked in my room every night?" I say.

"Yeah..."

"I've been sneaking out. Training. I figured I could get out of the community if I trained and then volunteered for the Games." I don't know how to say it other than just blurting it out, "Even if I die... well, I'll still be free, right?" I add the last part, just trying to make him understand why I would do this.

"You've been training? Without telling me?" He whispers.

"Yes," I say, cringing.

I see hope appear on Juniper's face. He quickly shuts it back down. He hesitates again.

"Are you sure you're not saying that to make me feel better?"

"I swear," I say. "Just watch me in the Games, you'll see what I can do." He cringes at the thought of watching me in the games, but I can still see the hope there that maybe I have a chance to win.

"Okay." He reaches forward and hugs me.

"Thanks, Juniper. You've been a good friend to me all these years. Really, you've been my only friend."

"Well, you've been a better friend to me. I mean, you did just volunteer for the Games for me, and only me. No other reasons," He jokes. I smile at the fact that he seems happier, already able to make jokes. I'm happy he isn't hurt that I didn't tell him about training.

We sit in silence for a while until I finally decide to speak again.

"You look after yourself, okay?"

"I will."

"Good," I say, "because just because I've trained, doesn't guarantee I won't come back." The look on Juniper's face makes me backpedal, so I quickly add, "But I really will try, of course," I reassure him.

A peacekeeper enters the room and orders Juniper out.

He stands up and hugs me and says, "You can win. Don't give up on yourself, okay? Try and win."

"I will," I say quickly, and the door slams behind him.

Next thing I know, I'm at the train station, and there's cameras blinding me with their constant flashes, and the click of them taking pictures is almost deafening. I just smile and wave, already thinking about the sponsors. Lily is beside me, smiling shyly, but her face is still red and splotchy from crying. Eventually we make it onto the train, and the doors slide closed before we take off. I can't help but marvel at the speed of this thing.

I look over to Lily, and see her staring back at me. I give her a quick, reassuring smile before walking away quickly. I don't want to make this any harder for either of us, because I don't want to kill a girl from my own District, let alone if we're friends. I don't think she would want to kill me if we were friends either, so I figure I could save us both the worry. I sit down in a soft leather armchair, and wait. Finally, Talma marches in, a look of determination on her face.

"Okay then, you two, we should get started early," she says firmly. She ushers Lily over into a seat beside me, before sitting down herself directly in front of the two of us. For a moment she just stares, before sighing.

"Please tell me at least one of you can do something," she says. I can't help but laugh at her abruptness for a moment, but Lily just looks offended.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lily snaps back.

"It means," she says gently, "that I really wouldn't mind being able to bring a tribute back alive this year."

"Well, I can't do much of anything. I ran track at school... so I can run fast, but not much else," Lily says quietly.

"Hey, running is always a big advantage in the Games," Talma says reassuringly, "that boy you volunteered for wouldn't have had much chance with that limp," she adds to me.

"I know."

"So," she says expectantly, "can you do anything?"

"Can I do anything?" I repeat, "Sure."

"Feel free to elaborate," she says.

"On weapons or on skills?"

"Both, I guess," she says, smirking. She obviously thinks I'm over-exaggerating, and that I'll probably say I know how to stab something with a stick, or I know what a strawberry looks like.

"I can use a spear, bow and arrows, throw knives, I know hand-to-hand combat and I can identify a lot of plants, start a fire, build a shelter, hunt for food and I'm both strong and fit," I say confidently. "Oh, and I can run fast," I add.

"And what if you can't find any of those weapons in the Cornucopia? Do you depend on them to find food?" Lily snaps, obviously trying to find something wrong with me and try to make herself feel better.

"I know how to make them," I say calmly back. "And I can identify what plants I can and can't eat if there isn't anything to make them with."

I did worry about that scenario. That I would find myself in an arena that had to possible means of shelter, building a fire, or materials to fashion weapons with. The prospect was one that worried me, but I figured if I got a good enough training score and I was friendly enough, I could get sent food by sponsors. And I also knew hand-to-hand. But obviously, I would run to the Cornucopia before I let myself resort to that. Fashioning weapons could be time consuming, and if I got jumped in the middle of making a weapon, and they already had a weapon from the Cornucopia, it might not be good.

Talma looks hopeful. I begin to wonder what it must be like for her. She is from the Capitol, but she has been an escort for the games since they started. I wonder if she likes the Games or not. Every year, she has watched two tributes go to the arena, and watched them die. I wonder if she watches that like a person from the Capitol, who doesn't care about the tributes, but gets a kick out of watching children kill each other... or if she actually watches the two tributes, who she tried her best to help to survive, die a violent death year after year. Judging by what she said before about wanting to bring a tribute back for once, and the hope I see on her face now that I might stand a chance... I'm thinking she cares.

"Well," she says, "I think we can work with all that. And Lily, you really do have an advantage being able to run fast. That isn't something you can pick up in training."

I spend a while walking around the train aimlessly. I'm relishing in the fact that I'm not inside the fence in District Twelve, or locked inside my bedroom at the home. I'm outside, and I'm free. I'll be going to the Games soon, and even if I die, I would be more free in death than I ever was in that home.

Talma soon comes in to call me for the recap of the reapings. I walk in to the TV, and Lily is already sitting there on a small love seat, so I take the small armchair and leave Talma and Lily to sit together.

I try to pay as much attention as I can, but I really only notice a few. The careers, obviously. I know I'll have to look out for them. District One look good this year. I may have a lot of skills and strength, but I haven't got a huge advantage on size. That might make some underestimate me, which is good. But in a fight, it would be handy to have some weight advantage. So when I watch the careers being reaped, the two I take notice of are the huge girl from District One, and the huge guy from District Four. I have no doubt that the other careers will have skills to make up for smaller size, but I make a note not to get caught with those two without a weapon.

The next person I notice is a girl from District Seven. She doesn't look huge, but she has an air of confidence that doesn't exactly look like an act. Her district counterpart, however, is a tiny 12 year old boy who can hardly mount the stairs onto the stage, he's so tiny. I can't help but feel bad for him, as he stands there, shaking, already crying. He won't stand a chance.

The last person I really notice is a boy from District Ten. His name is called, and even the commentators stifle a gasp as they watch him march through the parted crown, and take the stairs in one giant step. He's huge. But he doesn't look at all confident. In fact, he's crying hysterically as he walks onto the stage, loud sobs echoing through the audience. For a second I think it might be an act, but a guy as big as him wouldn't be able to pull off the 'weak' act, so I begin to think he's seriously just a big softy.

Suddenly the reaping for District Twelve is on. I watch as Talma calls Lily up to the stage. I hear the sigh of sympathy for Juniper as he begins to walk up to the stage, and they notice he has a limp that prevents him from even walking properly, let alone run. There sighs of sympathy soon turn into surprised gasps as I step forwards and calmly yell, "I volunteer as tribute!"

The commentators spend a couple of minutes talking about how they're stunned at "District Twelve's first ever volunteer!" and question whether "I volunteered for that poor little boy, or for the glory of the Games?!"

Talma switches off the TV, and I can't help but sit here feeling disgusted at the commentators. They seem certain that I couldn't have cared enough about Juniper to volunteer for him. Like no one outside of the Capitol is capable of feeling love for anyone, or would sacrifice anything for anyone. It must be for 'the glory,' because that's all the Capitol think about. Why would someone go off into the games, just for the glory of it? Of course, the careers do. But I can't help but feel disgust as they sit there and just think that any sane person would just throw their life away for 'the glory.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks LoopyToucan and TheDaughterOfDragons for your reviews! I really appreciate it!**

I lay back, sitting still as an extremely colourful man shaves any little bits of hair off my face. He's got skin that has been dyed to a light turquoise colour, with bright green hair, and deep blue eyes. Judging by the mix of colours, he's trying to look like the kind of water I've only seen in the oceans in pictures of District Four. There is one other man, who is currently working on my nails to look smooth and shiny, seems to be going along with the theme of a bumblebee. He has a long black stripe along his face like a small mask, and he has yellow lipstick, yellow eyeliner, yellow hair, and his nails painted in a pattern of black and yellow.

Then there is also a younger girl, who I think is new to the games, who is currently cutting my hair so that it is all a short and even length. My dark hair, which along with my grey eyes tells me my parents were probably from the Seam, falls to the floor on small tufts. The woman cutting my hair is trying to do it as quickly as she can, stubby fingers covered with rings, and wrists covered in bangles flying around madly and making a lot of noise as she tuts at whoever did such a bad job of cutting my hair.

I apologize over and over for the difficulty she's having. I explain to them I lived in a community home, so I couldn't get a decent hair cut, and my female stylist spent a couple of minutes blubbering over 'this poor orphaned boy who couldn't even get a haircut!'

I really don't care how difficult it is for them to make me look decent. I hold back a smirk as they get frustrated over the numerous cuts and bruises that cover my body, either from the carers or from training outside the fence. The only reason I'm trying to be nice to them, is because they could always go talk to their Capitol friends about 'how lovely that District Twelve boy is!' Something like that could help me get sponsors.

Eventually, after they've covered some of my injuries and drowned me in makeup, they deem me presentable enough to meet my stylist. I stand confidently in the middle of the room, completely naked as I wait for my stylist. Eventually she comes in, and her eyebrows raise when she sees me standing there, naked, completely at ease in front of a woman I've never met before. Her surprised face turns into a scowl.

"They didn't do a very good job covering you up," she says loudly in the direction the prep team just went, "why are you covered in bruises?"

"The joys of the Community Home."

"Ah," she says sympathetically, "well, I'll just fix those right up! I'm Elsie, your stylist!" She adds cheerily.

She spends a couple of minutes covering everything up, and I can no longer see a single mark on me. She claps appreciatively at her own work, and puts me in front of the mirror, so I give her a happy smile and she seems satisfied enough.

"Well, I think it's time for your costume!" She screeches excitedly, "I designed something that will be just perfect for you!"

I can't help but cringe at what she might have come up with. I don't want to end up in something disgusting.

Of course, I do.

The outfit just has a small, tight pair of over-alls, without anything underneath, leaving my torso completely exposed other than the two small straps holding them up. Other than that, it's just a small metal bucket and a helmet with a torch on the front. There aren't even shoes. I sigh. How do they expect me to get sponsors in this?

Elsie notices the look on my face and her face falls before she quietly says, "Oh, don't you like it?"

I force a huge smile and say, "No, I love it! It's fantastic... thank you."

She gushes for a few minutes on how she thought of this costume earlier, and she just knew it would be perfect, and I just let her go for a few minutes until she checks her watch, and screeches "We have to go!"

She ushers me quickly out of the Remake Centre, and guides me over to the District Twelve chariot. Lily is there talking to her stylist, in an outfit that matches mine but shows a little less skin. She turns around, takes in my costume and gives me a look of pity and mutual sadness before continuing talking with her stylist.

I turn around to Elsie and she's dusting off my hair and costume. She licks her thumb a little before wiping a mark off my face with it, and pushing me up onto the chariot screaming that everyone will love me.

"Show them your muscles, that's what the costume is for!" She screeches.

I tense all my muscles and wait for our chariot to exit the centre. Next thing I know, the chariot is making its' way to the City Circle, and I'm waving, and showing off my muscles with poses that I'm sure make everyone back in District Twelve cringe. But the people in the audience are screaming and waving back to Lily and I, some of them even blowing kisses and mimicking my poses as I stroll past them. I'm hopeful that surely, someone will sponsor me. Of course, if I get a rubbish score in training they aren't going to sponsor me, because it wouldn't be worth their money if they sponsored me and I died on the first day. But if I can get a good enough score, and seem likable enough, I'm confident I can get some sponsors.

Soon we are all in the City Circle, and President Trix is standing up on the podium, waiting to speak. The crowd immediately silences.

"Welcome Tributes! We welcome you to the Capitol! Happy 34th Hunger Games! And may the odds..." he pauses and looks around at all the tributes with a threatening look, "be _ever_ in your favor!"

With that, he steps down from the podium and all 24 tributes begin rolling again, and go into the Training Centre.

Lily and I step down from the chariot, and Elsie and Talma begin gushing over us, as well as Lily's stylist. They're all screaming things like, "well done!" and "you looked great!" and "they loved you!"

Lily looks happier than I've seen her since she got here, and I'm feeling more confident. Even if the outfits were horrible, at least we seemed to win over a few people.

The other tributes pay no attention to us, obviously thinking of us as no threat to them as usual, probably because we're from District Twelve. We look around at some of the costumes. District Seven are dressed like trees. District One are dressed in costumes covered in jewels. District Ten are dressed up as cows, but also wear cowboy hats and have small whips in their hands. Looking around at everyone, we all look equally ridiculous. That does comfort me some as we step into the elevator, and it shoots up immediately and I'm left reminded of the speed of the train.

We eat a quick dinner before going into the TV room to watch the Tribute Parade. I can't help but feel hope rise up in my once more when I hear people screaming for us again.

I walk into my bedroom, and I'm stunned. It's huge. I take off my costume, and stand in my underwear before I drop to the floor, and do some push-ups, and then follow with some sit-ups. It just seems routine for me to do some sort of training each day, so I have to do something.

I walk into the bathroom, and as soon as I've figured out all the controls, I have the best shower of my life. It's my first shower, actually. And I've never had the luxury of bathing in warm water, so the feeling of it is foreign to me. I can't help but love the luxury, and think 'I could _really _get used to this.'

I lay down to bed, thinking about training tomorrow and eventually fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own the Hunger Games.**

**LoopyToucan: Elsie really is constantly screeching! I figured that not all of the District Twelve stylists could be as lovely as Cinna, so I just made an annoying one instead. Thanks for your review!**

****"Up, up, up! We have a big day today!" Talma's voice bounces around my room, reminding me of the carers at home. For a moment, I lay there, imagining that it really was the carers. I'm back home, out of the Hunger Games and instead, Juniper is the one waking up in a luxurious bed with food waiting for him.

I imagine if Juniper really did go into the Games. He can't run. He can hardly walk, as it is. He would probably be ignored by the other tributes, more focused on taking out larger opponents than a crippled, underfed boy from District Twelve. I suppose that's a good thing. But he would eventually get caught, and when you get caught, it's bad enough even if you can run... he'd be dead in a few hours, at the most.

I fully open my eyes, and take in the colourful, bright room around me. It is spectacular, I can give them that. But I'm thinking maybe it's too much. I wonder how many previous tributes thought the same thing... all those dead tributes. There weren't any previous victors from District Twelve. With any luck, I'll be the first.

I jump out of bed and dash into the shower, and eventually figure out how to turn it on. I moan in pleasure as the wonderful, but still unfamiliar feeling of warm water cascades down my back. I press a few buttons I haven't pressed before, and I'm immediately enveloped in I decide I must be clean enough, and when I get out of the shower, I see an outfit laid there for training. I eagerly rush into it, excited at the prospect of training, and practically bounce out of the door and into the dining room.

I hardly pay attention to breakfast, just waiting until Talma tells us we can get on the elevator and go to training. Eventually, she peaks up, and the moment a word comes out of her mouth, I'm bounding out of my chair.

"Now just wait a minute," she says sternly, "we aren't going just yet."

"Oh," I say, and sit back down quickly, disappointed.

She laughs before responding, "We just need to discuss your strategies."

"Well, I don't really have one," Lily says, "I'm basically useless when it comes to skills."

"Now, now, we simply cannot have that attitude! The purpose of training is to learn new things, dear," Talma says enthusiastically, "so just... learn new things! We can make a victor out of you yet!"

Lily just mutters angrily into her bowl, obviously upset that Talma doesn't care about her death, but rather making into a victor. I don't have time to deal with her sulking, so I quickly turn to Talma, waiting for her to tell me my strategy.

"Now you, dear, do not show them anything!" She says happily.

That was what I was most definitely _not _hoping for. I wanted nothing more than to go down into training, and pick up a spear or a knife and throw it into a dummy.

"Okay... but how am I meant to fill up time if I can't visit half the stations?" I say.

"Dear, feel free to visit the stations! Just... hold back a little. Don't show them everything."

"How am I meant to do that if I'm at the stations?" I ask.

"Just act wobbly at first, then just aim for the right of the target or something. They think you're missing, but you know you're hitting what you need to."

"Okay," I mutter into my bowl, sulking like Lily. But I suppose I can deal with that, because it does make sense. If the careers saw exactly what I could do, they would have an advantage over me. But instead, I'll be acting mediocre, while they pay no attention to me, while I'll learn everything I have to about them while they show off. I finish my breakfast in better spirits, and I'm once again eagerly awaiting for the moment Talma tells us it's time to go.

After what feels like hours, Talma rushes us onto the elevator and escorts us down to the Training Centre. She fusses herself over straightening our hair and collars, all the while muttering about how she must have 'presentable tributes!' The elevator doors open, Talma pushes us out of them, and whispers "Good luck!" Then she waves form behind the closed doors, and shoots upwards back towards floor twelve.

A tall, young looking woman who introduces herself as Atala begins to explain all our expectations and rules, before letting us go to whichever station we please. I make my way over to the slingshot section, since I haven't tried that before, and keep my eyes on the careers.

I watch the pair from District One and the brute male from District Four head straight over to hand-to-hand combat, and line up to spar with an assistant. It's hard to focus on aiming my slingshot, watching them all slam down the assistant -who is larger than me- hard into the ground, one by one. The rest of the careers, the girl from District Four and both from Two, head over to throwing knives. They're good, and they hit the target when they're at a close range, but once they get too far away, they just don't have the skill I do. Eventually the two groups of careers swap stations, and I get to watch the smaller tributes at hand-to-hand. Even they're good, although they're not much bigger than I am. The larger tributes are about the same as the smaller. Good at close range, not so good once they get further away.

I move to fire making the same time the entire group of careers move to the spears station. They all excel at spears, even long-distance. I give up staring at the careers, and instead look around at the other tributes around me. The girl from Seven is standing at the axe station, expertly throwing axe after axe right on target. Her tiny, district counterpart is standing nervously nearby, looking lost. Then the giant boy from District Ten is shakily trying out archery, but it's clear he isn't doing well. You can almost see the tear-marks still etched into his face, as if permanently carved there from the amount of crying he's done.

I can't help but feel sorry for him.

I look around and find Lily, and she is tying up a small snare that should leave an animal hanging by the neck. She looks satisfied with herself, obviously happy she is achieving something. She looks over at me right as my fire starts up, and scowls before looking back down again.

I move over to archery, and pick up a bow. I test the weight a bit, before placing an arrow, and firing it off to the right of a target. It misses where I was aiming by a bit, so I try again. I aim for a few different areas around the target, before I hit the target once, and decide to move on.

I'm walking over to the knives station when we're called to lunch. I pile up a plate, and sit alone, trying to look uninteresting. It works, as everyone else watches the careers laugh loudly and menacingly down at the little boy from Seven every time he stumbles under their stare. I want nothing more than to yell at them, tell them to leave him alone, but I can't. How will my plan of sticking to the trees, picking them off one by one, completely unnoticed, work if they all have some vendetta against me for standing up to them? I grit my teeth and shut up, until I hear the girl from District Seven walking over to them, and I look up.

"You feel big?" She says loudly.

"What?" The District One boy grunts, sounding even stupider than he looks.

"You feel big? You know, picking on a kid half your size." She replies icily.

"You better think before you say anything else, Seven," the girl from Two says menacingly, gritting her teeth.

"No, I'm serious. I actually want to know, if when you go to sleep at night," she starts, her voice rising to a yell, "you feel any better about yourself, just knowing that you intimidated a kid _half_ your size just to make yourself and your stupid ego look bigger."

All three of the female careers stand up, trying to tower over the girl from Seven. But as she stares right back up at the three of them, she has such an air of confidence that she makes those three look tiny under her steely gaze. Then some officials rush in, and escort her away, and push the careers back into their chairs.

The careers don't look at the boy again, and instead glower at the girl, but she doesn't seem even slightly bothered by their gaze. The young boy from Seven relaxes now that he isn't under their menacing glare, and he is shooting admiring looks in the direction of his district partner. She gives him a small smile before returning to her food.

Eventually, we go back to training and I go around trying as much as I can; tying knots, the rope course, shelter making, and edible plants. I try to appear mediocre at each one, before moving to edible insects, which is one area I haven't tried before. I learn a few insects from each environment, and which to stay away from, and then training is over.

Lily and I step onto the elevators, and try our best to ignore each other as we shoot up to our floor. Talma is standing right at the doors, and she squeals and claps her hands excitedly as we walk out the elevator.

"How did it go?!" She screams.

"Good," Lily says proudly. "I learnt some new things, just like you said."

"Good, dear, very good!" Talma replies encouragingly. "Do you feel more confident now?"

Lily nods, and then looks at me. Talma seems to realize I'm still here and she turns to me with hope in her eyes.

"And you, dear?" She says expectantly.

"I did what you said. I didn't show off or anything. Started a fire, built some shelter, learnt about some insects," I say, trying to downplay it.

"And did you keep an eye out for everyone else?" Talma asks both of us.

"Yeah," Lily replies. "Every time I saw Rowan he was staring at them. And the girl from Seven has the careers after her. She started a fight with them over her district partner."

"Silly girl," Talma mutters.

"Well, at least they'll be focused on her and not on us. She had to be crazy though, talking to the careers like that," I say.

"Or very, _very _confident," Lily replies. "Did you see her? They looked like they would have killed her there if they could, and she didn't even flinch."

"Crazy is still my guess," I say, before standing up and heading into my room.

I have a shower, and dress in a baggy shirt and some knee-length pants before heading out for dinner. We sit around the table, and Talma and Lily chat happily with each other, easily entertained. I eat in silence, listening to them gush over outfits, and wonder what has gotten into Lily. She sounds like one of those Capitol people, who think about nothing more then what they're wearing tomorrow and which tributes they're going to bet on in the Games. Lily is basking in over-confidence that she managed to set a snare, and hit a dummy in the knee with a knife, and I suddenly find myself scowling in her direction.

Hitting a dummy in the knee with a knife. That is her solution. She's suddenly acting like an over-confident career, and I can't help but hate her for it. Sure, I trained like a career. But I don't look forward to killing anyone. Meanwhile, she's talking about what other areas she can hit that will take someone out most quickly. She's turned into a heartless career, and I hate her for it.

"I'm done," I mutter, standing up quickly, knocking my chair over. I glare at Lily, and I think she understands, because I watch as en expression of guilt crosses her face, which she quickly replaces with a scowl.

I march to my room quickly, before stripping down to my underwear and crawling into my silk sheets. I settle there, and glare at the ceiling, hoping I can take all my anger out on it, rather than on Lily or the careers tomorrow in training.


End file.
